Numerous candy dispensers have been created over the years that involve animal shapes. Many of these dispensers are shaped as chickens and have mechanisms that simulate laying eggs. Examples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,488, which operates by feeding a number of simulated eggs, which are stored within the device, through an opening in the rear of the toy. A spring loaded gate is used to hold the eggs in place and, when operated, to allow one egg to pass from the chicken. A similar device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,783,511 that is a duck that dispenses eggs by rocking the duck up and down. Other examples are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,569,637, 2,514,450, and 2,361,196 (which is shaped like a rabbit). Another series of inventions involves animal cigarette dispensers. These devices dispense cigarettes, which are stored in the dispenser, through an outlet. Typically, the device is operated by raising the tail or by pushing on the head or ear of the animal. Examples of these devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,189,216 and 2,506,719.
All of these devices are designed to dispense one item at a time, whether it is a cigarette, egg or other item. To do this, the operating mechanisms are complex. The systems advance one item for dispensing while simultaneously preventing the other items from advancing. Such mechanisms are expensive to build and are prone to failure and jamming.